NFL Paris Game 2026: why did Steelers-Saints leave their mark on Paris?
Summary
Sunday night, Saint-Denis, 78,488 people beneath the roof of the Stade de France. Terrible Towels are spinning, the godparents are in place, and France is finally receiving its American football baptism. The verdict? Aaron Rodgers' Steelers beat the Saints 16-10 in a hard-fought game.
Stade de France, October 25, 2026: the first NFL regular-season game played in France.
The Paris Game at a glance
- Final score: Pittsburgh Steelers 16-10 New Orleans Saints
- Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026
- ️ Venue: Stade de France, Saint-Denis
- Attendance: 78,488 spectators
- Halftime: Burna Boy on the field
Steelers 16-10 Saints: a baptism sealed on the ground
The scoreboard doesn't tell a story of fireworks. Just one touchdown per team, with field goals deciding the rest. Chris Boswell converts three, from 28, 47 and 39 yards, including the 47-yarder just before halftime to send Pittsburgh into the locker room ahead, 13-10.
The real gap opened up on the ground. Jaylen Warren racks up 101 yards on 18 carries. On the other side, the Saints run 17 times for just 18 yards. With one yard per carry, building a comeback is impossible.
New Orleans lets its last chances slip away in the fourth quarter. Daniel Carlson misses a 52-yard field goal, then Patrick Queen sacks Tyler Shough on third down. Pittsburgh then keeps the ball for long stretches and puts the game to bed.
"When you have a day like today, 17 carries for 18 yards, it's hard to win games."
— Kellen Moore, Saints head coach (remarks reported by AP, translated)
Across the Atlantic, the criticism didn't wait until the next day. On Still Curtain, republished by Yahoo Sports, Shayne Kubas describes an ugly win and an overly conservative game plan. This first game wasn't beautiful like a triumph. It had the toughness of a first step.
Who wrote the first chapter of the NFL in France?
A name was needed to open the record books. In the second quarter, Aaron Rodgers finds Darnell Washington for 4 yards: the first NFL touchdown scored on French soil. The NFL France account immediately calls it a “peach.”
For A-Rod, that pass counts double. It's his 540th touchdown in the regular season, one more than Peyton Manning. At 42 years old, the Steelers quarterback climbs to third place all-time, behind Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
The rest of his stat line is all about craft: 19 completions on 30 attempts, 212 yards, zero interceptions. In the fourth quarter, he even picks up a first down on a run, for 8 yards. A veteran's run, not a sprinter's.
The unsung hero is Payton Wilson. The linebacker intercepts Shough in the red zone in the third quarter, on a play he says he had practiced more than 20 times in training. The baptismal water flowed Pittsburgh's way.
Must-see: the Paris Game through the eyes of NFL France.
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From the tunnel to the field, Paris' first NFL runway show
Before kickoff, another game was underway: the tunnel game. In Paris, the city of Fashion Week, the arrivals at the stadium almost mattered as much as the first snap. The league even has its own fashion writer, Kyle Smith.
The Steelers went for a cinematic look. Rodgers and several teammates arrive dressed like Peaky Blinders, in suits and flat caps, and the team's official account posts the video with a caption that takes social media by storm: “By order of the Peaky Blinders”. Fans pointed out that the series is British. No one questioned the style.
For the Saints, Cameron Jordan takes to the field in white cleats customized by a French fan, covered in patterns inspired by Parisian architecture. Justin Reid, meanwhile, had ordered a custom-made suit especially for the trip.
Parisian drip also had its ambassador. Paul Pogba, NFL photographer for the day, poses inside the stadium before kickoff: dark denim jacket with black sleeves, turtleneck, beanie and small round glasses. At Project X Paris, we call that a layering masterclass.
The tunnel look
A familiar face at Paris Fashion Week, Alvin Kamara summed up what was at stake before the game in an interview with AP: fashion and sport, a real crossover between two worlds. Liverpool supporter DeShon Elliott, for his part, announced that he would wear a Virgil van Dijk jersey for his arrival. A simple reminder: a football jersey is still a streetwear piece.
PSG x NFL: Paris Saint-Germain as style godfather
Every ceremony has its godparents. Antoine Dupont and Teddy Riner were the event's godparents, according to AFP. Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, took on the role of the godfather who dresses everyone.
With Nike and the NFL, the club launched two American football-style jerseys, available from October 19: a Red and Blue Edition in the club's colors and a burgundy Monogram Edition with gold details. A PSG x New Orleans Saints capsule followed on October 22.
Did you know?
The number 75, Paris's department code, appears on both PSG x NFL jerseys. The fleur-de-lis on the back connects them to the Saints, who wear the same emblem.
On the field, Burna Boy brings the halftime show. In the stands, Pittsburgh's Terrible Towels win the battle of the colors, even though the Saints were officially the home team. All this at the end of a tense week, marked by protests in Paris.
Still doubting France's appetite for the NFL? Look at the number: 78,488 spectators for a regular-season game. What we'll remember most is this: Paris showed up.
PARIS IS BAPTIZED
A first touchdown, a record for Rodgers, godparents in the stands and a tunnel transformed into a runway. France has received its NFL baptism: now it's time to write what comes next.
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